Soundwaves: Taylor Haskins & Fuzzy Logic

Taylor Haskins (Credit: Hekli Andi)

Taylor Haskins & Fuzzy Logic @ SOUNDWAVES
A community summer concert series on the shores of Lake Champlain
Ballard Park, Westport, NY
Thursday July 3rd at 7:30 pm

After witnessing the attacks and aftermath of 9/11/01 first-hand while living and working in lower Manhattan, Taylor Haskins began to question his nearly 20 years of living in a major metropolitan area. A New Hampshire native, he suddenly found himself yearning for open spaces, the smell of trees, and the sound of the lone wind. Having spent some time vacationing and visiting friends in the Northern Adirondacks, Haskins sought refuge in the Champlain Valley area and eventually found a home in the hamlet of Westport.

Here he continues to compose music and play his trumpet while reconnecting to the Earth he once knew so well as a child. Haskins’ home now runs mostly on solar electrical power and solar hot water, and you can see him driving around Westport in his converted electric 1974 VW Beetle. Eating directly from Mother Earth came naturally when Haskins and his family became members of Essex Farm, a year-round full-diet CSA, and in the summertime he supplements his farm share with unusual items from his garden like Calypso beans, edamame and sunchokes!

Bringing More Music to Westport

Announcing Soundwaves: Westport Community Concert Series at Ballard Park — Soundwaves: Westport Community Concert Series at Ballard Park

One of the most challenging aspects of transitioning to a community of one thousand from one of about nine million is finding the exceptional musical partners that run nearly a dime a dozen in New York City. While Haskins spends the bulk of his time composing and practicing in his studio on Main Street in Westport, his performances and recordings still require trips out of the Adirondacks and into major metropolitan areas.

This summer Haskins has lured some incredible talent out of the city & from across the lake to perform at this summer’s nine week Westport Community Concert Series at Ballard Park – ‘Soundwaves’. The season starts on Thursday July 3rd @ 7:30 with Haskins performing music from his critically acclaimed album Fuzzy Logic (released in early 2014 on Sunnyside Records). Supporting Haskins will be legendary jazz guitarist Ben Monder and a string orchestra of 15 students from the internationally-acclaimed (and Westport-based) Meadowmount School of Music. The band will also include Vermont stalwarts Robinson Morse on bass and Geza Carr on drums. This promises to be a magical sonic evening to kickstart your July 4th holiday weekend and summer itself!

In his 20 years as a working musician, Haskins has recorded 5 albums as a leader and last year alone played on recordings by Nels Cline, Jamie Baum, Alan Ferber, Joel Harrison & JC Sanford. A unique and singular voice on his instrument, Taylor is also the lead trumpeter for Dave Holland’s Grammy™-winning Big Band and a long time member of Guillermo Klein’s legendary group ‘Los Guachos’.

“Mr. Haskins works his horn as if he was creating fantastic tapestries that tell timeless stories and are awash with gorgeous colors that are both warm and cool and, above all, absolutely beguiling. Mr. Haskins also plays this ethereal music with flawlessness and astounding fluidity.” (Taylor Haskins: Fuzzy Logic review by Jazz Da Gama)

2014 Soundwaves Concert Schedule

The 2014 summer series begins July 3rd at 7:30 and continues every Thursday night through August 28th in Westport on the hillside amphitheater overlooking Lake Champlain, known as the Ballard Park Performance Pavilion. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and a picnic. The rain site is across Main Street/Route 22 in the beautiful acoustics of the historic chapel in the Westport Heritage House. Soundwaves concerts are free of charge, however: your donations make this program possible!!

To learn more about Taylor Haskins please visit www.taylorhaskins.com.

To keep up to date with the concert series, you can “Like” the Soundwaves page on Facebook or visit our Tumblr: soundwaveswestport.tumblr.com.

Concert lineup is as follows:

7/3 Taylor Haskins’ ‘Fuzzy Logic’ – featuring Ben Monder, guitar
with the Meadowmount School of Music String Orchestra
7/10 Ryan Montbleau (opening: Jay Fiegl)
7/17 Barika
7/24 Samuel Torres & Manuel Valera
7/31 Meadowmount String Quartets
8/7 Joe Brent & Sara Caswell’s ‘9 Horses’ (opening: Staber & Chasnoff)
8/14 Michael Chorney & Hollar General – featuring Brett Lanier, pedal steel; Magic City the
songs of Sun Ra – 8 piece ensemble – featuring Miriam Bernardo (double bill)
8/21 Jason Lindner’s ‘Super Future Griot’ – featuring Nate Smith and Gilmar Gomes
8/28 Rebecca Martin & Larry Grenadier

To schedule an interview with Taylor Haskins in regards to Soundwaves please email: soundwaveswestport@gmail.com or call 518-962-8845.

Announcing Soundwaves: 2014 Westport Community Concert Series at Ballard Park (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
2014 Meadowmount Concert Schedule (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Soundwaves

Soundwaves is a community summer concert series held on the pavilion stage in the natural amphitheater at Ballard Park in Westport, NY. The concerts begin at 7:30 pm every Thursday from July 2nd through August 13th (2015). This summer’s concert series is curated by veteran jazz trumpeter & Westport resident Taylor Haskins. In the event of rain all concerts will take place at the Heritage House directly across the street.